Creamy Cauliflower Macaroni Cheese - Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes

15 January 2016

I like to bulk out dishes with extra vegetables as often as I can. It's pretty essential when you have a fussy child. I decided to add cauliflower to this creamy macaroni cheese and it was excellent. A good thick sauce with a really cheesey flavour.

Cooper likes cauliflower, but only if it's in a cheese sauce, so adding cauliflower seemed the perfect option. Why not add cauliflower florets to the macaroni cheese you may ask? Why make it into a smooth sauce?

Adding florets would change the texture and sometimes you have to choose your battles, especially when you're already spending time making one dairy cheese sauce and one vegan one. We do mostly eat a vegan diet but Cooper and I still occasionally eat cheese.

I don't make macaroni cheese very often as I'm aware of how calorific it is, but when I do make it we really enjoy it. The next day we like to eat our leftover macaroni cheese with spicy bean burgers and vegetables. You should try it, it's tasty!

If you're making my vegan version of the sauce, you'll find the alternative ingredients in brackets. I do hope you try this dish and enjoy it as much as we do.

1. Cook the macaroni in plenty of boiling water according to the packet instructions. Don't overcook, it should be al dente.2. Break your cauliflower into florets and steam or boil until tender. 3. Heat the milk with the onion and bay leaves. Drain into a jug to remove the onion and bay leaves. 4. Melt the butter in a small pan, then add the flour and whisk in. Gradually add the milk, whisking as you go. Add a little more milk each time it thickens up. 5. Season with salt, pepper, onion granules and garlic powder, then add the cheese or vegan alternatives and whisk in until melted. Taste to check the seasoning.6. Drain the cauliflower and whizz with the cheese sauce either in a blender or with a hand blender until you have a smooth sauce.7. Once the pasta is cooked to perfection, drain and mix with the sauce. 8. Serve and enjoy!

Oh, that looks really tasty. We've taken to bodging a bit of cauliflower in everything in lieu of potatoes to thicken - soups, mac-and-cheese, white gravy or cheese sauce, even. May as well load up on the veg in stead of the pasta, I guess.

Gearing up for another vegan month with my teen so bookmarked. I did a version of this without blending the cauli recently - really good. However my 17 year old still insists on tomato sauce without bits so I know all about smooth sauces!

This is definitely a recipe to enjoy right now. Cauliflower is the perfect partner to a mac & cheese and improves it too. Kids definitely aren't that keen on it and I think mine would prefer it like this, blitzed into the sauce :))

Ohhh this sounds so lovely! I'll have to give it a go - and a great sneaky way to hide some extra veg too! I'm veggie - have been most of my life, but the rest of my family aren't so I'm always looking for something that I can make for everyone! :-)Emma xx

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